This week's hot concerts

Carnival of Madness

5 p.m. Friday, August 30, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, 707 Pavilion Blvd. $17-$57.50. www.livenation.com

If black and white and gray represent the varying shades of metal, this annual hard rock tour hits on its varied gradations from the Southern rock of Shinedown to the catchy, anthemic hard rock of Papa Roach (which has taken a page from 30 Seconds to Mars of late) to the Christian alternative and industrial metal of Skillet and We As Human to the melodic assault of female fronted metal band In This Moment.

Megan & Liz

6:30 p.m. Friday, August 30, Amos’, 1423 S. Tryon St. $13-$15. www.amossouthend.com

The YouTube-approved, Michigan-based twin sister act combines the positive shout-anthems of Icona Pop, the sweet, cheerleader pop of Disney grads like Hilary Duff and Aly & AJ, and the girly, carefree feel of beachy songwriters like Colbie Caillat. Its debut album is out this fall.

Matthew Mayfield

8 p.m. Saturday, August 31, Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St. $8-$10. www.eveningmuse.com

The former Moses Mayfield singer approaches pop-rock with more heft and haunting than many of his TV drama scoring peers (his songs have been used in “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Hart of Dixie”) thanks to a dark, distorted rock undercurrent and a Springsteen-like scratch in his voice. He embarks on an acoustic tour in support of his impressive new EP, “Irons in the Fire.”

Analog Daze

8 p.m. Saturday, August 31, Double Door, 1218 Charlottetown Ave. $10. www.doubledoorinn.com

The appropriately tagged Charlotte band, which trades in grooving and gritty classic blues-rock flavored with Southern, psychedelic, classic, and early modern rock, celebrates the release of its (again well titled) album “Throwback Anthems” with the Kevin Marshall Band and Gigi Dover & Big Love. The first 100 people receive a free download.

JP Harris & the Tough Choices

6 p.m. Sunday, September 1, Thirsty Beaver, 1225 Central Ave. Free. https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Thirsty-Beaver-Saloon/155129104571598

Fans of true honky tonk and classic country music get a pass to sleep in late Monday morning following a likely marathon from this Southern traditional songwriter who snubs his nose at his home of Music City with a blatantly old school sound that rocks more than rolls live.

Muse

7 p.m. Tuesday, September 3, Time Warner Cable Arena, 333 E. Trade St. $45.15-$67.10. www.ticketmaster.com

The influential British arena rock band’s last world tour was one of the best of 2010, though it missed Charlotte. With it's Queen-meets-James-Bond soundtrack feel, its album “The 2^nd Law” may not have resonated as much as its inescapable mainstream breakthrough, “The Uprsising.” But you can bet the theatrical trio will perform a grand, memorable and cinematic-sounding rock show as if scoring the apocalypse.

Goodie Mob (cancelled)

8 p.m. Thursday, September 5, The Fillmore, 1000 NC Music Factory. $30.50. www.livenation.com

Although now famous for his non hip-hop pursuits (“The Voice,” Gnarls Barkley, “Forget You”), Ceelo Green reteams with Big Gipp, Khujo, and T-Mo for a Goodie Mob reunion and album (this week's cleverly titled “Age Against the Machine”), which Green says goes beyond hip-hop and is just the first act for the reignited veteran unit.

Black Flag

8:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 4, Chop Shop, 399 E. 35^th St. $20-$25. www.chopshopnoda.com  

Although entangled in an un-punk rock lawsuit with Flag - another touring version of former members playing Black Flag songs - over trademark infringement, founder Greg Ginn and vocalist Ron Reyes (from the “Jealous Again” era) are revisiting the seminal punk group’s influential catalog as well as creating its first new material since 1985.